GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1989 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 641

SENATE BILL 77

 

AN ACT TO MAKE THE POSSESSION OF ANY AMOUNT OF COCAINE OR PHENCLYCLIDINE A FELONY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 90-95(d) reads as rewritten:

"(d)      Except as provided in subsections (h) and (i) of this section, any person who violates G.S. 90-95(a)(3) with respect to:

(1)       A controlled substance classified in Schedule I shall be punished as a Class I felon;

(2)       A controlled substance classified in Schedule II, III, or IV shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than two years or fined not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or both in the discretion of the court. If the controlled substance exceeds four tablets, capsules, or other dosage units or equivalent quantity of hydromorphone or if the quantity of the controlled substance, or combination of the controlled substances, exceeds one hundred tablets, capsules or other dosage units, or equivalent quantity, including one-half gram or more of phencyclidine, the violation shall be punishable as a Class I felony.  If the controlled substance is phenclyclidine, or one gram or more of cocaine and any salt, isomer, salts of isomers, compound, derivative, or preparation thereof, or coca leaves and any salt, isomer, salts of isomers, compound, derivative, or preparation of coca leaves, or any salt, isomer, salts of isomers, compound, derivative or preparation thereof which is chemically equivalent or identical with any of these substances (except decocanized coca leaves or any extraction of coca leaves which does not contain cocaine or ecgonine), the violation shall be punishable as a Class I felony.

(3)       A controlled substance classified in Schedule V shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than six months or fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or both in the discretion of the court;

(4)       A controlled substance classified in Schedule VI shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than 30 days or fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00), or both, in the discretion of the court, but any sentence of imprisonment imposed must be suspended and the judge may not require at the time of sentencing that the defendant serve a period of imprisonment as a special condition of probation. If the quantity of the controlled substance exceeds one-half of an ounce (avoirdupois) of marijuana or one-twentieth of an ounce (avoirdupois) of the extracted resin of marijuana, commonly known as hashish, the violation shall be punishable as a general misdemeanor. If the quantity of the controlled substance exceeds one and one-half ounces (avoirdupois) of marijuana or three-twentieths of an ounce (avoirdupois) of the extracted resin of marijuana, commonly known as hashish, or if the controlled substance consists of any quantity of synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols or tetrahydrocannabinols isolated from the resin of marijuana, the violation shall be punishable as a Class I felony."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective October 1, 1989, and shall apply to offenses occurring on or after that date.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of July, 1989.